MONASTERY MOŠTANICA – A SPIRITUAL CENTER AND HISTORICAL TREASURE OF THE POTKOZARJE REGION
In the heart of the wooded slopes of Mount Kozara, next to the clear stream of Moštanica, just 12 kilometers south of Kozarska Dubica, lies the famous Moštanica Monastery.
This beautiful and significant monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina holds a rich history and spiritual heritage, although precise information about its founding, benefactors, and the master builders who constructed it has not been preserved. Numerous legends point to at least five centuries of existence of this spiritual center for the Orthodox communities of the Potkozarje region.
The first written records of the monastery date back to 1579, and it is believed to have been restored slightly earlier, during the time of Patriarch Makarije, a relative of the Grand Vizier Mehmed-paša Sokolović.
Throughout the centuries, the Moštanica Monastery endured many hardships – it was burned and plundered eight times, but each time it was rebuilt. In recent times, the monastery has been expanded with a guesthouse and a smaller chapel with a bell tower.
The Moštanica Monastery attracts many tourists throughout the year, and on August 19th, the Transfiguration of the Lord is traditionally celebrated here with the "Veče ojkače," a singing competition in traditional folk songs.
Next to the monastery is a popular picnic spot for locals and visitors, where vast meadows are intertwined with the Moštanica stream.
Near the monastery, in the late 18th century, Saint Deacon Avakum was born, who took monastic vows at this very site. After the Hadži-Prodan Uprising in 1814, St. Avakum was captured and taken to Belgrade, where the Turks offered him the chance to convert to Islam to save his life.
His courageous refusal and the song he sang on the way to his execution have been immortalized in epic folk songs. Since 2006, December 30th, the Day of the Holy Reverend Martyr Deacon Avakum, has been celebrated as the patron saint day of the municipality of Kozarska Dubica.
Close to the Moštanica Monastery is the grave and monument of the famous outlaw and rebel leader Petar Popović Pećija (1830-1875), who died during the Bosnian-Herzegovinian Uprising.
By visiting the Moštanica Monastery, you will not only discover a peaceful sanctuary and a spiritual center of Orthodoxy but also immerse yourself in the rich history of this region, woven with heroism and legends.
